Topic: Recruiting for Basketball

[MUonium]

i can't recall definitive answers on the subject of paying players and it's not an easy search for me-
would love to have absolute clarification-

my limited understanding of paying non-scholarship players (walk-ons/other) NIL is that yes, you can.
the only caveat at the moment is that Schools have strictly defined, limited coordination with NIL Collectives.

if correct, then yes, walk-ons can be paid with NIL as well as any other player.  i have no clue of the amount limits, IF any, or what/how much obligation the players have in exchange.

the point is that the 13 scholarship limit rule may be, at the moment and for the most part, irrelevant.  if i recall, there is a total floor roster limit in some variation or another.

[herdorbust2]

Some of you need to put Spears being on scholarship at Bama in perspective. Spears was placed on a scholarship for his last semester at Bama. Again, nothing against the young but he was given the last scholarship on the team when Bama didn't sign a player at mid year. The same scholarship was almost awarded to senior walk on instead of Spear. I believe the Bama coach is friends with our AD.

"Alabama basketball sophomore guard Kai Spears is a walk-on no more. Spears was offered a scholarship on Thursday sources tell BamaCentral.
Spears is in his second year with the program. He has appeared in seven games this season with six total points. The guard made his first career field goal in the 111-67 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 23.

Coming into the season, Alabama only had 12 scholarship players (Kris Parker, Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, Rylan Griffen, Davin Cosby Jr., Mouhamed Dioubate, Mohamed Wague, Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Jarin Stevenson, Nick Pringle, Sam Walters and Aaron Estrada) on the team, which left one scholarship spot available.

Senior forward Max Scharnowski and freshman Ward Harrell are the other two walk-ons currently on the Crimson Tide roster.

It is the second season in a row Alabama head coach Nate Oats left an open scholarship spot on the roster. Last season, Alabama used the open scholarship for Cosby who enrolled early, but the Crimson Tide didn't add an early-enrollee midseason this year.

In Friday's press conference, Oats explained the reasoning behind giving Spears a scholarship over Scharnowski, who has been in the program longer. Oats said Scharnowski is already on a good academic scholarship, so Spears needed it more and was given the scholarship after discussing it with the two players."

https://www.si.com/college/alabama/basketball/alabama-basketball-walk-on-kai-spears-offered-scholarship

Exactly. There was an opening that wasn't being filled so they gave it to him. Great for the kid but doesn't mean much. I expect him to be one of our better walk ins over the years but nothing more. Hopefully he can contribute a few minutes if needed from time to time.

[chris88]

It doesn't matter what anyone thinks at this point because there isn't enough info to determine how he will fair on THIS team against OUR competition. He won a state championship in HS and was likely their best player from what i've seen...even though it was small school division in PA. That he wasn't good enough to play much as a FR or So on a final four team doesn't mean he won't contribute here.  Big, big difference. Time will tell.

[Flat Tire 2]

Exactly. There was an opening that wasn't being filled so they gave it to him. Great for the kid but doesn't mean much. I expect him to be one of our better walk ins over the years but nothing more. Hopefully he can contribute a few minutes if needed from time to time.

I think he will be a good addition to the team, and I hope he gets some playing time if he has the ability. I couldn't find any information on him on the high school recruiting sites and apparently he didn't have any college offers. His high school team that won the state championship returned four players from the previous year team (Spears was not a starter the previous year) and he wasn't the leading score on his high school team which was played in the smallest classification. 

"Notable: The senior-laden Crusaders have cruised into the WPIAL finals after a 66-34 win over No. 8 Rochester in the quarterfinals and 71-36 triumph over No. 4 Geibel in Saturday?s semifinals. ? Senior 6-foot-6 forward Jaden Gales (17.1 ppg) and senior guard Kevaughn Price (15.1 ppg) lead the Crusaders? scoring. Among 10 seniors on the roster, Price (14), Gales (11) and guard Kai Spears (16) spearheaded the semifinal win. ? Four starters returned from last year?s title team ? Gales, Price, senior guard Jhamil Fife and junior guard Shea Champine. ? "

https://tribhssn.triblive.com/2022-wpial-class-a-boys-basketball-championship-breakdown-bishop-canevin-vs-union/

[MUfan08]

i can't recall definitive answers on the subject of paying players and it's not an easy search for me-
would love to have absolute clarification-

my limited understanding of paying non-scholarship players (walk-ons/other) NIL is that yes, you can.
the only caveat at the moment is that Schools have strictly defined, limited coordination with NIL Collectives.

if correct, then yes, walk-ons can be paid with NIL as well as any other player.  i have no clue of the amount limits, IF any, or what/how much obligation the players have in exchange.

the point is that the 13 scholarship limit rule may be, at the moment and for the most part, irrelevant.  if i recall, there is a total floor roster limit in some variation or another.

Currently, walk-ons can receive NIL just as scholarship players. BYU collective as an example is paying all their walk-ons in football the cost equivalent of schooling.

Now, next year (fall of 2025) will be totally different since schools can begin revenue sharing and there are talks of not having walk-ons for sports any longer...but that determination has not been finalized yet.

[MicDrass1]

Marshall was one of the worst bb teams in D1 last year.  I think Spears contributes

[herdorbust2]

Marshall was one of the worst bb teams in D1 last year.  I think Spears contributes

I also think he could contribute some. But he is not the best player on the team or even close to it.

[MicDrass1]

I don?t know who the best player on the team is but I hope it?s a new player or we are in for another long season. 

[Haveyouherd222]

Nobody has said or is saying that he is the best player on the team.  The direct quote was "he is the quickest player on the team, with a legit first step."

[herdorbust2]

Nobody has said or is saying that he is the best player on the team.  The direct quote was "he is the quickest player on the team, with a legit first step."

Mcdriss said he could be our best player. I wasn't referring to you. But this is getting out of hand just like the Pete Moe kid.

[herdorbust2]

He went against pros not bottom feeder SBC team.  Can he shoot, dish, break a D down, create an efficient offense???   Truthfully he could end up being best player on team.

Just trying to stop this is all.

[MicDrass1]

No player on last years mu team would have played meaningful minutes for alabama.  Every new player has a chance to be the best player on marshalls team. 

[herdorbust2]

No player on last years mu team would have played meaningful minutes for alabama.  Every new player has a chance to be the best player on marshalls team.

Oh please just stop with the nonsense.

[svherd]

Oh please just stop with the nonsense.

He's likely right. Maybe Martin. No one else would sniff many minutes. Bama was good.

[herdorbust2]

He's likely right. Maybe Martin. No one else would sniff many minutes. Bama was good.

I'm talking about Spears being the best player on our team. Good grief!!! And if you don't think Voyles, Obinna, Martin or even Curfman would not have got more minutes than spears then you are out of your mind also. I'm not saying the kid is bad by no means but he isn't our best player or even top 5-7. If he was we would have just signed him from the beginning and made him a priority. Just because he was a walk on at Alabama or Kansas doesn't make him our best player or even close to it. Good grief people get a grip!!!

[coalherd]

He's likely right. Maybe Martin. No one else would sniff many minutes. Bama was good.

If valid, that is sort of a damning indictment of the overall State of MU Men's Basketball, including its level of recruits, in the TENTH Year of a Head Coach's tenure, IMO!!!

[Luke80]

People on this board have always gotten overly excited about the new kids on the team. I remember some guy telling us a couple years ago how great shape we were in because we had Conner and Fricks, and how those new Freshman were going to be better than the upper class players we had. Slipped my mind who that poster was.

[herdorbust2]

People on this board have always gotten overly excited about the new kids on the team. I remember some guy telling us a couple years ago how great shape we were in because we had Conner and Fricks, and how those new Freshman were going to be better than the upper class players we had. Slipped my mind who that poster was.

Yea I seem to remember him also. You seemed to leave out the name ahandlogton who went to Florida and started. But I'm sure you just overlooked his name lol!!!

[MicDrass1]

Ryan nutter and james connor got big minutes.  We had snail team speed.  Poor skill everywhere.  Low strength and weight.  If you never been around SEC athletes check it out.  They are Different
RS any returners you can.   Play small ball.

[herdorbust2]

Ryan nutter and james connor got big minutes.  We had snail team speed.  Poor skill everywhere.  Low strength and weight.  If you never been around SEC athletes check it out.  They are Different

We will see how many points he averages. Will he get 14-15 points a game like some of the guys did last year? We will see soon enough if his SEC body, talent and athleticism dwarfs the other guys on our team.

[coalherd]

Ryan nutter and james connor got big minutes.  We had snail team speed.  Poor skill everywhere.  Low strength and weight.  If you never been around SEC athletes check it out.  They are Different
RS any returners you can.   Play small ball.

But MD1, we sure could "fire up those 3's", couldn't we??

[MicDrass1]

We will see how many points he averages. Will he get 14-15 points a game like some of the guys did last year? We will see soon enough if his SEC body, talent and athleticism dwarfs the other guys on our team.

Voyles was our best scorer.  Predicted that bc I knew our talent level was weak.  I think CJ has brought in better athletes than we are used to having recently.  Maybe more of CJ Burks type athleticism he has brought in rather than James Connors.

[herdorbust2]

Voyles was our best scorer.  Predicted that bc I knew our talent level was weak.  I think CJ has brought in better athletes than we are used to having recently.  Maybe more of CJ Burks type athleticism he has brought in rather than James Connors.

I agree with better atheltes he has brought in on scholarship for sure. No argument there from me at all. I thought we were talking about one in specific? And who is James Conners?

[MicDrass1]

I agree with better atheltes he has brought in on scholarship for sure. No argument there from me at all. I thought we were talking about one in specific? And who is James Conners?

Something Connor .... 100lb scared player Herd had.

[marshallmark]

Something Connor .... 100lb scared player Herd had.

Jacob.  Who's now at Dayton playing for Anthony Grant, a much better program than MU.